The present invention relates generally to animal feeding systems and more particularly, to feeder pans for poultry and the like.
The mass feeding of poultry is carried out by generally a conveyor system which distributes feed throughout an enclosure or series of enclosures in which the poultry is housed. Connected to the conveyor are a plurality of feeder pans which receive feed from the conveyor and hold the feed separated from the floor. Typical feeder pans include some form of drop tube which directs the feed from the conveyor down to the pan. The amount of feed to be dispensed is determined by adjusting the separation between the distal end of the drop tube and the pan. Grillwork is usually provided between the drop tube and the pan to segregate the feeding poultry.
The pan may be suspended above the floor by the conveying system or may rest on the floor.
The conveyor system generally includes a conveying tube received in a collar of the drop tube. Since the collar is generally unitary, it is difficult to remove the drop tube and its feeder pan from the conveying tube without totally disassembling the conveying tube. In the early systems, the drop tube included a flange which formed a partial cylinder and was mounted to the conveying tube by spring clips as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,085,552; 3,105,463 and 3,389,689. A two piece collar using rivets or nuts and bolts is illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,490,419; 3,408,988 and Re 25,589. These systems were metal and generally included many elements and required a tool to assemble or disassemble.
By using molded plastic systems, the collar and drop tube became unitary. Although reducing the number of parts, these systems are not easily removed from the conveying tube. Also there is generally no provision for locking the drop tube and its associated pan on the conveying tube to prevent it from moving axially along the axis of the conveying tube or to rotate and pivot about the conveying tube. Although the locating tab 42 in U.S. Pat. No. 3,408,988 may provide some restriction of the axial movement, the two piece collars of the prior art provided little, if any, resistance to pivotal motion. In time, the spring clips and other circumferential biasing means permit movement. The unitary, molded structure provides no resistance to motion.
The adjustment of the amount of feed provided into the pan is determined by adjusting the height of the distal end of the drop tube in respect to the bottom of the pan. Earlier models used a screw with a crank to adjust the height as illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 905,393; 984,980; 2,933,064; and 3,102,511. A threaded collar for receiving a threaded neck of a supply container is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 1,565,117. An adjustable sleeve gate on the end of a supply container with a notched slot is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 570,569.
Another style of feeding pans made the drop tube of two telescopic portions. The first portion includes a collar which receives the conveyor and is mounted to the pan by a grillwork. The second portion includes a foot structure which rests on the bottom of the pan and adjusts the height of the second tube portion distal end from the pan. Typical examples are U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,388,690 and 3,811,412. These systems provided a latch and detent with spiral guides in a metal sleeve or second portion. One piece molded versions are illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,511,215; 3,911,868 and 4,070,990. In these models, the feet offer the only mounting of the drop tube to the pan and no grillwork is provided. Other examples are U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,941,506 and 3,566,843.
Another feed pan includes an integral drop tube with a flared end and an adjustable collar threadably received in the center opening of the grillwork. The adjustable collar forms a stop for the drop tube such that when it is positioned and supported by the conveyor, a separation of the distal end of the drop tube from the pan is defined by the stop. When the pan is placed on the ground and not supported by the conveyor, the distal end of the drop tube rests on the pan, thereby closing the bottom opening. A pan of this design is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,476,811. The adjustment requires two hands: one to manipulate the collar and the second to hold the pan.
The grillwork of U.S. Pat. No. 3,388,690 includes a plurality of spokes which individually engage the pan and having a ring connecting adjacent the outer periphery of the spokes. The ring is discontinuous so that the grillwork can be removed by reducing the diameter of the ring by pulling two of the spokes circumferentially towards each other. No provision is provided to maintain the feed within the pan if the pan should tip. Also, since the grillwork is totally separable from the pan to allow cleaning, requires two hands to reassemble the pan. Other examples of removably mounting the grillwork to the circumference of the pan are illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,709,417; 3,230,933 and 3,585,970. These are in addition to those previously discussed for other features.
The peripheral ends of the spokes of the grillwork of U.S. Pat. No. 4,476,811 are connected by continuous flange having generally F-shaped cross-section. The two parallel legs of the F-shaped flange receive the edge of the pan and snap thereon. The snap-on structure is very difficult to engage and generally requires a hammer. A hinge is provided such that when the grillwork is removed from the pan for cleaning the pan and grillwork do not totally separate.
Thus, it is an object of the present invention to provide a feeder pan which is adjustable with one hand.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a feeder pan which may be removed from a conveyor system without implements and disassembly of the conveyor.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a feeder pan which is readily disassembled for cleaning and may be reassembled without any implements.
An even further object of the present invention is to provide a feeder pan which is readily disassembled and includes a guard to prevent feed from spilling from the pan when tipped.
An even further object of the present invention is to provide a feeder pan which may be locked to prevent relative movement between the feeder pan and the conveyor system.
These and other objects of the invention are achieved by an adjustment mechanism having first and second threadably interconnected support portions integral with the central bore of the grillwork and the drop tube respectively for adjusting the distance of between the distal end of the drop tube and the pan. A first locking mechanism locks the drop tube with respect to the grillwork and includes a detent extending through a channel in the grillwork from the exterior to the interior center channel and a biasing element biasing detent toward the drop tube. The drop tube includes an axial groove on its outer surface for receiving the detent to lock the pan in specific positions relative to the drop tube. A pair of channels and axial grooves are provided.
The drop tube has, at its proximal end, a split collar including a radial bore which receives the conveyor. The split collar includes a first portion integral with the drop tube and a second portion removably mounted to the first portion so as to be removed along the axis of the radial bore. This allows dismounting of the pan from the conveyor without implements and disassembly of the conveyor. The split collar includes a lock which extends through the collar and engages the conveyor in the radial bore for preventing movement of the feeder pan with respect to the conveyor. This prevents not only swinging of the pan with respect to the conveyor tube, but also movement along the axis of the radial bore.
The grill is a spider shape having a hub with a central bore for receiving the drop tube and an outer peripheral, circumferential flange removably mounting the grill to the pan in a circumferential inwardly facing groove in the pan. The flange has a L-shaped cross-section with a vertical leg received in the circumferential groove and a horizontal leg extending substantially from the circumferential groove. This provides a horizontal lip around the top edge of the pan to prevent spillage of feed from the pan when the pan is tilted as well as during feeding of the fowl.
The flange includes a slit therein to permit removal of the flange from the circumferential groove. The slit, in the horizontal leg, is narrow so as to provide, effectively, a continuous horizontal flange while permitting removal of the flange from the circumferential groove using radial and axial initial forces. The slit is generally diagonally opposed a hinge which is a loop which extends through an opening in the pan below the circumferential groove and encompasses the flange. The hinge causes the pan to ride on the flange when pivoting to aid alignment during closing.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.